COLUMBUS - The State Board of Psychology took emergency action this week to immediately suspend the license of a Findlay psychologist for repeatedly engaging in sexual activity with two mentally retarded women.
The board's executive director expressed concern that it took four months for the board to learn about the complaint, which was filed with city police on Jan. 2 against James H. Phillips, 71, of Vanlue, and that he had confessed in writing on Feb. 24.
Executive Director Ron Ross said the board was notified last week by the Hancock County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
The action by the state board marked the fourth time it has taken the peremptory step of issuing a summary suspension of a psychologist's license without waiting for a formal hearing.
The case has been referred to Hancock County Prosecutor Robert Fry's office with a request that four counts of sexual battery, third-degree felonies, be filed in cases involving the 66-year-old and the 58-year-old mentally retarded females.
In his signed, handwritten statement given to police Feb. 24, Dr. Phillips wrote that the two women initiated the activity.
"In both situations, they're [sic] are regrettable incidence [sic], and I got caught up in a behavior losing my control,'' he wrote. Referring specifically to an incident with the 58-year-old woman, he wrote: "This again was a situation I regret and occurred when I should have had control.''
The 58-year-old woman told police she'd engaged in sexual acts with Dr. Phillips "a bunch of times.''
"It's been going on for a long time,'' she said.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040417/NEWS24/404170359/-1/NEWS
The board's executive director expressed concern that it took four months for the board to learn about the complaint, which was filed with city police on Jan. 2 against James H. Phillips, 71, of Vanlue, and that he had confessed in writing on Feb. 24.
Executive Director Ron Ross said the board was notified last week by the Hancock County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
The action by the state board marked the fourth time it has taken the peremptory step of issuing a summary suspension of a psychologist's license without waiting for a formal hearing.
The case has been referred to Hancock County Prosecutor Robert Fry's office with a request that four counts of sexual battery, third-degree felonies, be filed in cases involving the 66-year-old and the 58-year-old mentally retarded females.
In his signed, handwritten statement given to police Feb. 24, Dr. Phillips wrote that the two women initiated the activity.
"In both situations, they're [sic] are regrettable incidence [sic], and I got caught up in a behavior losing my control,'' he wrote. Referring specifically to an incident with the 58-year-old woman, he wrote: "This again was a situation I regret and occurred when I should have had control.''
The 58-year-old woman told police she'd engaged in sexual acts with Dr. Phillips "a bunch of times.''
"It's been going on for a long time,'' she said.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040417/NEWS24/404170359/-1/NEWS
